Texas House Bill HB650

Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

• Out of House Committee: 3/25/11
• Voted on by House: 4/8/11
• Refer: 2/21/11
• Out of Senate Committee: 5/5/11
• Report Pass: 3/24/11
• Voted on by Senate: 5/17/11
• Engrossed: 4/8/11
• Governor Action: 6/17/11
• Refer: 4/26/11
• Report Pass: 5/5/11
• Enrolled: 5/18/11
• Passed: 6/17/11

Caption

Relating to property held by certain junior colleges and presumed abandoned.

Impact

The enactment of HB 650 clarifies the rights and responsibilities of junior colleges regarding abandoned property, which is an area that previously may have caused confusion. The bill's specific focus on property value limits it to lower-value assets, which can help prevent larger legal entanglements that could arise from mismanagement. Additionally, it provides a standardized way that junior colleges can address potential issues with abandoned property, further solidifying their administrative processes and potentially enhancing their property management practices.

Summary

House Bill 650 addresses the handling of property that is presumed abandoned, specifically in the context of junior colleges in Texas. This bill allows junior colleges to opt into provisions enabling them to manage property valued at $100 or less that has been deemed abandoned under existing property laws. By formal action of their governing boards, these institutions can decide to apply the relevant legal framework to effectively manage abandoned property. This is significant in streamlining the process for dealing with such property and potentially recovering it for use by the college or its stakeholders.

Contention

While discussions around HB 650 primarily focused on the beneficial aspects of empowering junior colleges, there could be concerns regarding how these institutions decide to handle abandoned property. The bill leaves room for interpretation on what constitutes 'abandoned' and may lead to differing policies across various colleges. It is vital for these institutions to approach property management with clear guidelines to avoid any misapplication of the law or conflict with existing property owners. The potential for diverse operational practices among colleges could result in inconsistent outcomes for similar cases of abandoned property.